What does “switch” mean in the C programming language?

In the C programming language, a switch statement is used as a conditional statement to execute different code blocks based on different cases. Its syntax is as follows:

switch (expression) {
    case constant1:
        // code block
        break;
    case constant2:
        // code block
        break;
    ...
    default:
        // code block
        break;
}

The expression is evaluated to compare its value with the constants following each case. If a constant’s value matches that of the expression, the corresponding code block is executed. If there is no match, the default keyword can be used to execute the default code block. At the end of each case code block, the break keyword must be used to exit the switch statement, otherwise the next case’s code block will continue to be executed.

The switch statement is commonly used as a replacement for a series of if-else statements, making the code more concise and readable. It is suitable for discrete decision-making scenarios, such as executing different operations based on user input options.